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User profile for user: adeiq358
adeiq358 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Distinguishing File Types by Icon

Hi, I'm new to macOS and finding it difficult to quickly identify file types when I have a large number of files (e.g., PDFs, Word documents, etc.) in one folder.

With file preview on, different file types often look similar. If I turn it off, all icons are generic, and the only distinction is the file extension. While I’ve enabled extensions and sorted files by type, I’m looking for a more visual way to differentiate them.

Is there a way to have distinct icons for different file types like PDF, Word, PowerPoint, etc., for quicker identification at a glance?

MacBook Pro (M4)

Posted on Nov 17, 2024 11:49 PM

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User profile for user: VikingOSX
VikingOSX
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
116,753 points

Posted on Nov 18, 2024 3:44 AM

The operating system applies a type mask to the icon in Finder with PDF icons bearing the PDF acronym stamped on the icon when it is a one-page PDF and a black border on the left edge of an icon (without PDF stamp) when it is a multi-page PDF.




The stamp DOC/DOCX will appear on Word document icons. Any Word documents that are zero length will have the bright blue "W" logo on them when MS Word is installed.



And other file types have their own identity on their document icons.

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User profile for user: VikingOSX
VikingOSX
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
116,753 points

Nov 18, 2024 3:44 AM in response to adeiq358

The operating system applies a type mask to the icon in Finder with PDF icons bearing the PDF acronym stamped on the icon when it is a one-page PDF and a black border on the left edge of an icon (without PDF stamp) when it is a multi-page PDF.




The stamp DOC/DOCX will appear on Word document icons. Any Word documents that are zero length will have the bright blue "W" logo on them when MS Word is installed.



And other file types have their own identity on their document icons.

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User profile for user: etresoft
etresoft
User level: Level 9
50,956 points

Nov 18, 2024 11:55 AM in response to adeiq358

adeiq358 wrote:

I was expecting (wanting) bright blue "W" kind of icons and same for the PDF and other files. But now got some idea.

I would recommend something easy like dedicated folders for PDFs and Word documents.


If you don't want to do that, try grouping by "kind". I know you mentioned "sorting by type", but that's not quite the same thing.


If nothing else, you could group by "kind" just once, select all of one kind, and set a bright blue tag on them. You'll have to keep re-doing that if you add more files.

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Distinguishing File Types by Icon

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